When I learned that Leonard Nimoy died of end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at his Bel Air home on Friday, at 83, my thoughts turned to my first interview with the actor-director-author-photographer in his sunny den back in 2003. Nimoy, of course, had acquired a global cult following for creating the ultra-logical character of the half-human, half-Vulcan Mr. Spock on the TV series “Star Trek” and its movie spinoffs (some of which he directed), so I was surprised that his den displayed so few memorabilia items from his most famous role.

Chef Nobu Matsuhisa may have provided the culinary inspiration — and the name — for the prestigious Nobu restaurants that offer a unique fusion of Japanese and South American dishes. And Robert DeNiro may have brought the star power.

On a recent Friday morning, half a dozen women worked out to a playlist of energetic pop music in a Sherman Oaks gym as their toned, model-pretty instructor shouted words of encouragement. But there was one thing distinctly different about this picture.

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